Wildfire
by luckandillusions
Summary: [Sequel to Organized Lightning] In the 30 years since the blackout, governments have risen and fallen, but now the Federation of America is finally at peace. That is, until their President is assassinated. President Jackson's family and friends are left to contain the fallout. With time running out, they must find the assassins and stop the coup, before they're next.
1. Chapter 1

**April 2044**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

 **SarahPOV**

I read the note again, though I knew I hadn't missed anything the first time. It was short, to the point. Very Ciara Jackson. Nothing like the long sappy letter she'd hidden for the rest of her family. This was just for me.

"Sarah, if you're reading this, I'm dead." The second time through, the words still made my breath catch in my throat. "I've heard whispers of a coup for months. I gathered what I could, but I don't have enough concrete proof to expose anyone." I flipped open the folder with my other hand, thumbing over the pages. "It's up to you to figure out what I couldn't. If you don't, you'll all be in danger. They're not just going to stop with me."

I sat the letter down. For a moment I just looked at the folder, without really seeing anything. Then I dove in. I wasn't sure how long I sat there, digging through Ciara's notes. Half the stuff was way over my head. The other half I didn't have clearance to see. I was just an aid, but she had been the President of the Federation of America.

I recognized the names of Governors and other aids. Ciara certainly had a lot of enemies. She was beloved by her people; she'd won two wars and united a country, for heaven's sake. But, within the government, opinions were polarized. Sure the majority approved of her policies, at least enough to vote her into office in the first place. But, there were others who would do anything to tear her down. Some of them had disapproved of her father's administration. He'd been President when the Federation of America was only the Georgia Federation. Others only disapproved after Ciara brought home the world's most wanted war criminal, Sebastian Monroe. Not only did she pardon his crimes, she married him.

The door to the study flew open and I let out a squeak of terror. "Whoa, sorry!" Connor Bennett stood in the doorway, looking almost as scared as I had just been. Connor was Monroe's son from a previous relationship. Now, he was President of the Federation until elections could be held. Standing here in Ciara's study, with disheveled hair and a five o'clock shadow, he didn't look much like a President. "How'd you get in here?"

"I picked the lock," I said simply. I shrugged. "I just wanted to be alone with her, you know? Feels like she's still in here. I would've asked Bass for the key, but I didn't want to bother him."

Connor nodded. He nodded at the folder I was holding. I closed it quickly. "What's that?"

"It was Ciara's."

"I figured as much, what's in it?"

I shook my head. "She left it for me. I don't want to get anyone involved."

"That's what the mysterious note was at the bottom of her letter?" I remembered yesterday. We'd all sat around the living room, reading Ciara's last words. The only thing she'd written me was a scrawled note in a different colored pen. "Tell Sarah I left her something, she'll know where to look."

"I know Ciara's handwriting, she was a perfectionist," Connor noted. "If she wrote something that sloppily, it was in a hurry. Why would she do that?"

I sighed. "Close the door." He did as I said, and then sat down across the desk from me. I pushed him the folder. He read her note. Anyone who didn't know him would think he wasn't fazed by it. But, I knew better.

"She knew she was going to die," he said quietly.

"Maybe not one hundred percent, but yeah, enough to sink this in the fountain at Forsyth Park."

"You waded into the fountain?"

"Yeah, before sunrise. It was cold as hell." I shook my head. "I've been going through the folder. It's a mess. I know Ciara pretty damn well, but even I can't make sense of what she was thinking. It looks like she suspected half her government, honestly."

"Dad's paranoia rubbing off on her?" Connor suggested.

I shrugged. "That, or I'm missing something major here."

"So what do we do, work our way through every one of these people?" He asked. "The Summit ends tomorrow, everyone's going to be gone."

"Extend the Summit," I suggested. "Another week. Say you need it to prepare yourself for Presidency. Everyone will think you're just trying to campaign before the vote is organized in a few months."

"They're going to expect me at meetings all week, how am I supposed to investigate?"

"You're not," I told him. "You just be the President, and I'll take care of it. But keep your eyes peeled. This is coup, and Ciara's right, we're all in danger just by being her allies."

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

He nodded finally. "You know, you're a lot like her. No wonder she wanted you to be President one day."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, watch your back, I'm coming for that chair."

"I think I'm safe for now, you have to be a Governor to get elected President." He shook his head and started toward the door. "Sarah, don't tell Bass about this. Not yet. He's not the person that he used to be, but a piece of him died with her. I don't want him to do anything he'll regret later."

I nodded. "Of course. Now get out of here. Don't you have Presidential duties or something?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't live here right?"

"Neither do you, Mr. California." He shook his head, but left me alone anyway. I picked up the folder again. "We're going to find them," I whispered. "It won't be for nothing."

 **ConnorPOV**

I envied the other people on the ferry. For them, nothing had changed. They were the same as they'd always been. Meanwhile, my world was slowly falling apart. Hands gripped my arm. I jumped. "Sorry!" Charlie whispered. She pulled me out of the cabin, and onto the deck.

Even though Charlie looked frantic, I couldn't help but smile. She'd always had that effect on me. We'd barely seen each other since I moved to California and she went back to Wisconsin. The Summit had been a good excuse to see each other, if only it hadn't turned out the way it did. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Me? You're the one who looks like they've seen a ghost." I tilted my head. "Ciara always said Savannah was haunted."

Her eyes grew wide. "How are you even joking after all this?"

"If you can't laugh, you'll go crazy."

She shook her head. "Listen, I've got a lead."

"Yeah?"

"Patriot cell down on Ossabaw Island. Rumor is, they're even running a camp down there. I'm going to check it out tonight. I'm on my way to get Miles now."

"You can't, Miles has to stay for the Summit," I reminded her. Her dad was the General of the Federation's military. Ciara had been a good fighter, but she was no strategic mastermind. So, she'd picked one of her closest friends for the job.

"Today's the last day."

I shook my head. "I'm extending it. Sarah asked me to, and she's right, we need to keep all our suspects in one place."

"Except our suspects aren't here!" Charlie protested. "They're on Ossabaw Island."

"Charlie, it isn't the Patriots," I said, exasperated. Fifteen years ago, before the Federation of America, we'd fought a war against the Patriots. They that claimed to be the US government; rising from the ashes, to return the post-blackout world to stability. But, they had been frauds. Texas and the former Georgia Federation had joined forces to crush them.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"Because Ciara knew there was a coup," I admitted, with a sigh. "She left Sarah tons of crap, half the stuff makes no sense, but I pretty much gathered it wasn't the Patriots. It's someone on the inside, I promise. You know some of her Governors have had it out for her since day one." I put my hand on her arm, and she jerked away.

"Not that I don't trust you, but you don't know the Patriots the way I do. You didn't fight in the war. You ran. I know what they can do, and this is right up their alley." She shook her head. "I'm going to check out Ossabaw Island tonight, with or without backup. Ciara was my friend, I owe her that much."

 **8 Years Ago**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

The door to Ciara's office burst opened. She looked up to see Charlie Matheson standing in the doorway. "Yes, Charlie, you can come in," Ciara muttered. "Wasn't like I was in the middle of anything important."

"Whatever it is, it's not as important as this," Charlie said. She produced an American flag from her bag and dropped on Ciara's desk.

Ciara looked at the flag for a moment, then her eyes flicked up to Charlie. "You came all the way from Wisconsin to show me a flag?"

"I took this off a body," Charlie explained. "A Patriot cadet body."

"You're sure it was a cadet?" Ciara asked.

"He had the tattoo," Charlie said, as if Ciara thought she was stupid. At the height of the Patriot occupation, they had set up training camps across the country. They called them reeducation camps. They tortured innocent teenagers and turned them into killing machines. Each of the cadets was given a number, tattooed on their waterline.

"Charlie, everyone knew about the camps," Ciara reminded her. "Word spread pretty fast after the war. Granting immunity to the cadets was one of my most controversial pieces of legislation. Most likely, someone found out your victim was a former cadet, and killed him."

"And the flag?" Charlie pressed. "How do you explain that?"

Ciara sighed. "Maybe it was a former Republic rebel, or maybe it was just someone trying to be poetic. Even if there are Patriots left out there, they don't stand a chance. Texas signed a treaty to join the Federation and the Californian war is almost over. Our country sweeps from sea to shinning sea and all that crap. We're unbeatable."

Charlie didn't say anything. "Listen, Charlie, I know how much you hate them. Believe me, I do too. But they can't hurt us anymore. They can't take the people we love again. I miss Jason too, not a day goes by that I don't think about him. But we won the war, we avenged him."

"You're not the one who pulled the trigger."

Ciara reached out for Charlie's hand. Charlie let her take it, reluctantly. "Maybe not, but I might as well have done it." She shook her head. "Let this go, Charlie, please."

 **2044**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

 **SPOV**

I walked into the convention center. I'd always loved the Summit as a kid, and not much had changed. There were people from every walk of life. Every state sent a delegation. Politicians debated policies in front of crowds of civilians. Scientists and engineers presented the newest technology. It was here, ten years ago, that two of the nation's leading researches presented a devastating fact: the power would never come back on.

At least, it should have been devastating. In reality, we'd been living in a world without electricity for decades. Many of us, like myself, had been born after the blackout and had never known any different. We had grown used to this world. Steam power flourished again and gas lanterns lit homes. It was all very Industrial Revolution, but it was our world.

I passed a display on the benefits of installing steam-powered public transportation systems. I spotted my dad. He waved me over. "What do you think about this idea?" He asked.

"I don't think it's worth Charleston's time. If we had the pre-blackout subway tunnels like Chicago, then maybe. But, as it stands it would cost entirely too much."

He nodded. "I think you're right. Good to know I'm putting South Carolina in capable hands." I tried to smile, but I knew it fell flat. He steered me down the hall. People greeted him with "good to see you, Governor Braxton," and "how's it going, Charles?" My dad had always been popular. He was friendly, charismatic, the whole political package. I had always tried to be just like him.

He led me to South Carolina's private meeting rooms. He took a seat. I closed the doors behind us. When I turned back around, it was as if a spell had been broken. Charles looked weak. I brought him a glass of water, and watched as his arm shook as he raised it to his mouth. In front of people, he somehow kept it together.

He didn't like to talk about his condition. All I knew was my great-grandfather had been diagnosed with the same thing. There'd been no cure then, and there definitely wasn't a cure now. In this post-blackout world, there were doctors, but the progression of medicine had halted. His own body was slowly turning against him.

"It's getting worse," he said quietly. "It's time, Sarah."

I shook my head. "Dad, no. Not yet."

"Please, I want to die with dignity. It's getting harder to hide it." It had always been his plan to retire, and confine himself to our home until the disease ran its course. Charles was a proud man. He didn't want people to see him as weak. "I need to step down as Governor. It's time you take my place."

"Please, just give me the week. Connor's going to extend the Summit." I didn't want to argue with him, but I had no choice. "If you step down during the Summit, I'll have too many eyes on me. Everyone always wants to watch the new Governors flounder around, you know?" He smiled sadly. "The people who killed Ciara are here. I have to find them now, before they hurt someone else I care about."

My dad sighed. For a long minute he sat, considering. I held my breath. "Okay," he said finally. He nodded. "Okay, I'll resign at the end of the Summit. You have a week."

I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, dad. I promise I'll find them."

OoOoO

I ran straight into Connor. Literally, straight into him. We both let out small screams. Then we burst out laughing. Several people gave us curious looks. I linked my arm through his, and pulled him outside into the courtyard. The grassy space was lined with carts selling every food imaginable. I jumped into the line for fried chicken.

"I'm glad I ran into you," he said. "It's official, the Summit is continuing for another week. More food and fun for everyone." He looked around the packed courtyard.

"And hopefully some serious investigating," I added. "I haven't found anything so far, but I only got here a few hours ago. How about you?"

He shook his head. "I've been busy all morning. I tried to bring Charlie in, but she won't help."

"Charlie, as in, Ciara's best friend," I repeated. "Why won't she help?"

"She thinks it's the Patriots," he said quietly. He glanced around as if someone was going to attack him just for saying the name out loud.

I narrowed my eyes. "You told her about the folder, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but she's on a mission." He looked genuinely upset. "She was never the same after the Patriots, you know?"

"Well, you didn't really know her before the war, did you?" I pointed out.

"Fair point. But you didn't know her before Jason died, I did. I was there the day she killed him." I had never met Jason, but I knew the name well. He'd been Ciara's fiancé once, before she'd fallen in love with Bass. He'd also been a good friend of Charlie's.

"I saw how it haunted Ciara, and she wasn't even the one who pulled the trigger," I told him. "I can imagine what it did to Charlie." When the Patriots first came and brought their reeducation camps, Jason was one of the first to be taken. He'd been brainwashed and turned into a weapon. He'd attacked Charlie, and she had no choice but to kill him.

"She's hunting her own personal demons."

"I wish she'd hunt her own personal demons a little closer to the Summit," I mumbled. "We need all the help we can get."

We reached the front of the line and I ordered some fried chicken. I looked at Connor expectantly. "What?"

"Hey, your new gig pays way more than I made as an aid," I told him. "I think you can buy me some lunch." He rolled his eyes, but dumped a diamond in the vendor's hand. The vendor handed me my food, and Connor and I turned away.

"Sarah!" A familiar voice called. I turned to see Joanna, my best friend, practically running toward me.

"See you around, Connor," I said, walking toward Joanna.

"Hey, wait, you're not even gonna share the chicken!" Connor called. "Where's the respect?"

I ignored him and walked right into Joanna's waiting arms. She hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I know how close you were with Ciara."

"I miss her."

"I know, I know," she said. "Come on, let's go inside. Mississippi meeting room should be empty." She led me back into the building.

We settled down in the room and I pushed my plate toward her. She smiled as she pulled off a piece. "I'm sorry I missed the funeral. My dad…" she shook her head. "Well, you know my dad."

I nodded. I did, unfortunately, know her father very well. Norman Claymore, Governor of Mississippi, and perhaps the most infuriating man I had ever met. Governor Claymore hated the Jackson family, and he'd been quite vocal about it. It hadn't started with Ciara. He hadn't liked her father, the late President of the Georgia Federation, either.

Joanna was nothing like her father. "I'm glad Connor extended the Summit, I was going to miss you," she said.

I smiled. "That was at my request." I paused. "Not so we could spend more time together, but I mean…" I blushed. She laughed. "I think Ciara was assassinated."

Her face froze. "What?"

I nodded solemnly. "Yeah, and actually I don't just think it, I _know_ it." I took a deep breath. "Someone assassinated the President."

"Have you-" She broke off, looking for words. "Told the police? Told Miles?"

"Miles, yes, well sort of," I said. "But I can't go to the police until I know something for sure. I need proof. I don't know who it was, or why, but I think someone's planning a coup. I think it's going to happen soon."

"That's why you extended the Summit. You're going all Nancy Drew." I nodded, appreciating the joke. "Are you sure it's safe? If someone finds out-"

"Jo, I don't have a choice," I told her. "Ciara was my family. I can't let these people get away with murder. And, if anything happened to her family…"

"You have to do this, I get it." She nodded. "Just be careful, alright?"

I smiled. "I always am."


	2. Chapter 2

**SPOV**

"I'm only going to ask you one more time," I told the young man. "Has Governor McCormick said anything about rebelling against the Federation?"

"I told you, he hasn't!" The aid squeaked. "Please don't hurt me! I don't even want this job!"

The door flew open. I turned, ready to lash out at whoever was standing there. Miles Matheson stood in the doorway. "You've got to be kidding me." He shook his head. "Get out of here, kid," he said to the aid. The boy ran. Miles closed the door behind him.

"Hey, I wasn't done!" I protested.

"A broom closest, Sarah? Really?"

"It was convenient, and no one was going to come in here," I reasoned.

He groaned. "No more of this."

"How do you expect me to find Ciara's killer, Miles? I'm working my way through her folder. I'm doing everything I can to figure out who did this."

"You really thought _this_ was the least conspicuous way to do that? Because I guarantee that kid is going to run back to McCormick and tell him some crazy blonde chick just dragged him into a broom closet. And what if McCormick was the one who killed Ciara? You've just put a target on your back too."

I looked down. "I just want this to be over."

"Me too, Sarah." He groaned. "Now, I'm going to go clean up your mess before half the Summit finds out what you've been up to."

"How am I supposed to investigate?"

"I don't know, just anything but this. Okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, okay. Thanks for the help."

 **CPOV**

Charlie and I stood just outside the meeting room. I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants again. Charlie had yet to tell me what she found the night before on Ossabaw Island. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

But, right now I had other things to worry about, like surviving my first official day as interim President. I was supposed to open the floor for a debate first thing this morning. It wasn't even an important debate; it was about steam-powered cars or something. That didn't stop me from feeling like I was going to throw up at any moment.

"You okay?" Charlie asked. I shook my head. "You've been on the other side of that table a million times," she reminded me. "You've debated more important things that public transportation."

"Yeah, as a Governor, not as President."

She shook her head. "Nothing's changed, it's the same room of people. You know everyone in there."

"But before they weren't all out for my head," I said exasperated. "No one wants me to be President."

"That's not true."

"What if Ciara was wrong? What if I'm not right for this job?"

Charlie linked her fingers through mine. "Something I learned about Ciara, she's hardly ever wrong." She smiled. I smiled back reluctantly. "It's okay to be nervous, even Ciara got nervous."

"Ciara? Nervous? Never."

Charlie nodded. "I've got to go inside, but you're going to do fine. And when the time comes for the vote, you've got mine." She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek before ducking inside.

 **15 Years Ago**

 **Charleston, South Carolina**

"I'm going to throw up," Ciara said. Miles, Charlie, and Bass looked up at her. "I wish I was joking."

"It's morning sickness," Charlie reasoned.

Ciara shook her head furiously. "It's nerves." She resumed pacing. The other three watched her for a moment. They stood inside the Charleston capital building. Outside, Governor Braxton was warming up the crowd, before he welcomed the new President Jackson to the stage.

"Ciara, sit down, you're making _me_ nervous," Miles said. Charlie tried to guide Ciara into a chair, but Ciara shook her off. "I thought you didn't get nervous?"

"This is a new phenomenon," Ciara agreed. Honestly, she didn't even know why she was nervous. She'd been acting President for six months during the war. She'd had plenty of time to figure out what she was doing. It wasn't so much the job that Ciara was worried about. She just wanted to survive the inaugural address.

"What if they don't like me?" Ciara asked, after a long silence. "I mean, sure, the Governors voted me into office. But, without the people's support, this will never work. They loved my dad, you know? The Georgia Federation was the happiest places in the continent." She shook her head. "What if I can't do it?"

"Your dad was a great man," Miles said. "And he taught you everything he knew. You learned from the best. You're going to do just fine."

"But, ever since the war with the Republic, my image hasn't exactly been sparkly and clean. They called me a traitor! Just because I was trying to do my job and unite this country."

"You were _doing_ a lot more than that," Bass said quietly. Ciara shot him a scalding look. Charlie covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"I've spent the last six months trying to prove myself to the Governors. I haven't even thought about what the people were going to think of me. I mean, I'm standing with the most hated man in the country."

"I've read the papers," Miles said. "You did a good job, people actually like him a little bit."

Charlie held her thumb and index finger up, almost touching. "Like, just this much."

Miles gave her a look. "The point is, opinions can change. The only thing you can do now is, go out there, give a hell of a speech, and then start changing the world."

"People will get on board," Bass said. "You have that effect on people."

"I've watched this woman grow into an amazing person," Charles said outside. "I am so proud to be introducing her to you today. So, without further ado, President Ciara Jackson."

The doors opened. Ciara stood frozen for a moment. Charlie shoved her in the back. "They'll love you, now get out there!" Ciara stepped out onto the steps, the crowd cheered. Charlie watched as Ciara's shoulders relaxed. Just like that, Ciara was back.

 **2044**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

 **BassPOV**

The market was busier than I expected. It seemed like everyone and their brother was at the Summit. When the twins had asked me to take them to the market, I'd been hoping for a relaxing afternoon. But, this was Savannah, and everyone here had a routine. I shouldn't have expected people to break that routine on the Summit's account.

The twins ran back and forth across the aisle, looking at every booth. Will and I strolled along in silence. Ellie ran headfirst into a woman carrying a basket of fruit, oranges and apple went flying. I groaned. "Giselle!" I snapped, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back from the booths. "Stop running, I don't want to pay for everything you break. That goes for you too, Emeline." Emily sighed.

Ellie came to a halt. "Daddy, wait." She pointed at a booth. There was a display of knives with hand carved hilts. It reminded me of Ciara. She always carried knives. Ellie looked up expectantly, and I nodded. She walked over to take a closer look.

"Everyone needs a good knife," the vendor told her. She reached for one, but he stopped her hand. "How old are you?"

"Thirteen," she said proudly. The vendor looked at me, and I nodded that it was okay. He handed her the knife and she tested it in her hand. "I like it." She pulled a pouch from her pocket and poured a few diamonds out. The vendor laughed as he handed her a sheath for it.

Ellie returned, wide eyed. "I can't wait to practice with this."

"You're as bad as your mother." I shook my head. From a young age, I knew Giselle was going to be a good fighter. She was small, but she practiced more than most adults I knew. Ciara had always encouraged Ellie to do whatever she wanted.

Just after her thirteenth birthday, Giselle told me she wanted to be Miles when she grew up. Since Miles was always busy, I offered to teach her how to do his job. Ciara had always been a good fighter, but she'd never been militarily inclined. Ellie got that from me.

"Where'd you get those diamonds?" I asked her. She and Emily shared a panicked look. "Girls?"

"Uncle Miles," Emily blurted out. "He wanted us to get you out of the house."

Ellie rolled her eyes at her sister. "He called you a sad sack." I shook my head. Of course that's something Miles would do. But, I couldn't complain. I did feel better being out of the house.

Ellie started to take off running again. I grabbed her arm. "Give me the knife." She grumbled, but handed it to me anyway. "You can have it when we're back at home." She grabbed her sister and practically dragged her down the aisle.

"Dad," Will said. I glanced over at him. "Do you think you could teach me?"

"What?"

"I know I'm not as tough as Ellie, but I can try."

"You want to learn how to fight?" I clarified. Will had always been a momma's boy. Ciara had tapped Connor, and then Sarah to follow her as President. But, it was clear she intended Will to follow after both of them. He was smart as hell, maybe even smarter than Ciara, definitely smarter than Connor. But, I could tell he'd always felt left out.

Connor taught Ellie and Emily how to fight, he'd tried to teach Will but Will just wasn't any good. So while his sisters and Connor got closer, he was left on the fringes. I could've been a better father, but he'd always had Ciara. I never thought he would need me.

"I want to make mom proud," he said. "Ellie's going to be General of the military one day, and Emily is probably going to be an architect. I'm just going to be-"

"You're going to be Governor of Georgia, and one day you'll be President just like Ciara." I ruffled his hair. "I know you helped your mom sometimes, but maybe we can make that more official. What would you say about being my aid?"

"Really?" He asked. I smiled. "Awesome!"

"And I'll teach you how to fight, if you really want to learn. We'll make Ciara proud, together."

Over his shoulder I saw someone familiar. It took me a moment to place the man's face. "Will, take your sisters back home."

"What?" He asked confused.

"Just do it." I followed the man through the crowd. He crossed over to the last aisle. I walked past him and grabbed him by the arm. I yanked him into a broom closet. I shoved him against one of the shelves, cleaning supplies hit the ground. A glass jar shattered.

The man's eyes grew wide. "General Monroe. I can explain-"

"Yeah, you better. You're supposed to be dead. They found your body with hers."

He shook his head furiously. "I wasn't in the office, I swear. I was on vacation, you can check the logs."

"I can't check the logs, because they burned in the fire," I reminded him. "You were Ciara's best aid. You really expect me to believe she gave you vacation time in the middle of the Summit?"

"I don't know anything, I don't!"

I put a hand into my pocket and pulled out Ellie's knife. "You're a really bad liar."

 **SPOV**

Connor and I sat in Ciara's study after dinner. I flipped through Ciara's folder. The door flew open, scaring us both. Bass walked in. "Where've you been?" Connor asked. Bass stepped into the light. He was bloody. "Are you bleeding?"

"That's not his blood," I told Connor. We both looked at Bass, waiting.

He tossed a knife on the desk. "Mexico," he said finally. "I found Ciara's aid, the one who died in the fire."

"He's alive?" I asked.

"He was."

Connor and I shared a look. "What'd he say?"

"The night she died, she had a meeting with the Mexican delegation. But they weren't interested in her diplomacy," he told us. Relations with Mexico had been strained following the Patriot war. Ciara had invited them to the Summit to mend things. "They paid off her aid to let them into her office early, they poisoned her bourbon. It was supposed to look like a heart attack. But, something happened. She killed one of the delegates, he was the second body."

"They torched the office to cover their tracks," I realized. "Burned everything so there'd be no way to attach Mexico."

Connor shook his head. "There has to be something we're missing. I grew up in Mexico; I know the way they work. They're not doing this alone."

"You think someone in the Federation is helping them?" I asked.

"We should arrest the Mexican delegation," Bass said. "Someone will break."

I remembered what Miles had told me that morning. "No, the moment we round them up, we show our hand. We risk the conspirators going underground, or worse we move up their timeline." I looked down at the folder. "This may be the piece we needed to solve this puzzle."

I fanned out the documents across the table. Connor and I both scanned over them again. "Was that in here?" Bass asked.

I shook my head. "She hid it for me in the fountain. She used to hide things in there all the time, I think I'm the only one who knew that. It was her favorite place."

 **15 Years Ago**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

"I can't believe I'm home," Ciara said.

Bass laughed. "You've said that at least a dozen times."

"I used to think, I've seen Savannah for the last time. I'm never going to go home. But now, I'm here. And I have you with me. I don't think I could be any happier." She linked her fingers through his and smiled up at him.

"I know I couldn't be any happier." Bass leaned down and kissed her.

She laughed. "We should probably get back, I don't want to leave Anya with Will for too long. She signed up to be a housekeeper not a babysitter." Ciara pulled Bass along the riverfront. She took in all the boats coming from and going to places all around the world. She'd always loved being on the river.

They walked back to the house, passing through Colonial Park Cemetery. Governor Braxton had commissioned a memorial for Ciara's father, and all the other lives lost at the hands of the Patriots. Bass put his arm around her. She leaned into him for a moment and let him comfort her. But she'd cried enough, she didn't want to cry anymore.

They passed through Lafayette Square, by the cathedral. Finally, they ended in Forsyth Park, just in front of the fountain. The house was just across the street, and Ciara knew she should be getting back to her son. But, for a moment, she just wanted to stay here.

She felt the tears well up in her eyes before she could do anything about them. She wiped at them quickly, hoping Bass wouldn't notice. But, of course, he did. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, it's just…I used to come here with my parents when I was a kid, before the blackout. We'd have picnics on the weekends when my dad was off work. We just sat over there for hours. My dad could've just let this city fall apart after the blackout, but he didn't. I think that was because of me. He didn't want things to change, at least not the things that really mattered."

"I always thought when all this was over, and I made it home, he'd be here waiting for me." She shook her head. "I'll never understand how the Patriots could destroy the very country they wanted to rebuild. How they could just bomb Atlanta and Philadelphia without a second thought."

Bass wiped the tears from Ciara's face. He pulled her close, and kissed the top of her head. "It's over, they're gone. You're home, and safe, and everything is going to get better."

"I thought I was the one who was stupidly hopeful?" She said with a smile.

He laughed. "What can I say? You're rubbing off on me." Ciara leaned up and kissed him. Then she pulled him back toward the house, giving the fountain one last look. "Why don't we get Will, and have lunch outside?"

Ciara's eyes lit up. "A Forsyth Park picnic, I'd love that."

 **2044**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

 **SPOV**

"Wait a minute!" Connor said, grabbing one of the papers. He furrowed his brow, as he looked it over. "There's something wrong about this."

"Texas supply routes?" Bass asked, looking over Connor's shoulder.

"They shouldn't be taking this long, and these numbers are all over the place." He swept up the rest of the documents. "I've got to take a closer look at this." He headed out of the study, leaving me alone with Bass. He picked up a photo off the desk. It had always been one of Ciara's favorites. It showed her and her parents, before the blackout, having a picnic in Forsyth Park.

I headed toward the door, to give him some space. Then I stopped. "Hey, do you want to go have a drink?" I asked. "I think we could both use one."


	3. Chapter 3

**SPOV**

The Summit was as busy and bustling as ever. I weaved between people on my way to the South Carolina meeting rooms. My dad had just finished a press conference, so I was off work for the day. Connor and I had planned to meet for lunch, so we could go over Ciara's folder again. But, he'd been called away for a meeting.

I passed the Mississippi delegation, and Joanna dropped out of the pack to walk with me. "Doesn't your dad have a press conference now?" I asked.

She nodded. "I don't need to be there."

"Aren't you his aid?" I asked. She made a face. "Well, if you're that keen on skipping, I'm not going to argue. I'm going for lunch, want to join?" We headed into the South Carolina rooms, where a generous spread of food was waiting.

"Have you found out anything about President Jackson?" She asked, as I loaded up my plate. I nodded and led her over to the corner, away from prying ears.

"Bass found Ciara's aid, the one who supposedly died in the fire," I told her. "Apparently Mexico was behind it, two guys from the delegation poisoned her."

Her eyes grew wide. "Why haven't they been arrested yet?"

"We're keeping it quiet for now," I explained. "We think someone else was involved."

Joanna pushed her plate away from her. "Any idea who?"

I shrugged. "Connor might have found something, but we're not sure yet. He's so busy being President, we haven't had a chance to work his lead." Joanna looked ill. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Not hungry." She glanced around the room. "I should go. Now that I think about it, my dad will want me around after the press conference." She stood up quickly and darted out of the room.

I watched her curiously. Maybe I'd offended her by telling her about the Mexican delegation. Her mom was from Mexico City. Joanna had been really excited about the prospect of an alliance with Mexico. But that wasn't going to happen now. Connor and Miles would probably declare war by the end of the Summit.

I sighed. Seven years of peace wasn't bad, but I was going to miss it.

 **CPOV**

"With all due respect, Governor Bennett, that just isn't feasible," Governor Spencer of Texas said calmly.

I put both hands on the table and leaned forward. "With all due respect, I've already talked to General Matheson. It's moving forward. And it's _President_ Bennett."

We'd been at this argument for almost an hour. I had been pulled away from lunch with Sarah to argue about national security. It was ironic, given I knew for a fact at least one of these Governors was involved in Ciara's assassination. I was sure I was the only person in this room who was genuinely concerned about national security. I was determined to do something about it.

Ciara and I had talked about it before, but none of our ideas had ever really taken off with the other Governors. Miles was General of the military, and he was good at it. But, he couldn't be in charge of everything. Ciara had wanted to bring back pre-blackout intelligence agencies. But, most of the Governors were more inclined to maintain their own state police forces.

I told Miles about Mexico's involvement in Ciara's death. Together we made the executive decision to move forward with the idea. A blacksite was to be opened in Kansas, with the help of Governor Blackmore. The old Plains Nation territories maintained their culture, even after joining the Federation. They were warriors, and much of our military was composed of former Plains war clans. Ciara's father had made an alliance with the Plains Nation decades ago. Their Governors were loyal to the Jacksons.

A former war clan member, and friend of Ciara's, had been working secretly on an organization. Miles called it the love child of the FBI and the CIA. But even I was too young to really know what those agencies had done pre-blackout.

"For God's sake, Peter," Governor Deaton of Tennessee, spoke up. "If President Bennett has already set this into motion, then it's done. Ciara pitched this very idea for years. Are you really surprised that General Matheson went behind the rest of our backs and set it up?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "She's right. It is classic Miles."

"I know most of you employ your own state police forces. I am not telling you to get rid of them," I assured the other Governors. "I'm just letting you know that we now have an intelligence agency. It's important we have a group to police the police. Understand?" A few Governors gave words of support, mostly the northerners. Other than Deaton and a few other Ciara supporters, the southerners just grumbled. "In that case, let's break. We've already missed lunch."

I caught Charlie's arm as she was leaving. "Will you get Miles? We need to talk about the blacksite." She nodded.

The Governors gathered their things and left the room, leaving me alone. I pulled out the Texas trade routes again. I'd been planning to go over this with Sarah, but we hadn't had the chance.

At first glance, the documents looked pristine. But, if you knew anything about geography, you'd soon realize that something was off. Ciara must have cracked it, which was why it was in her folder. But, I wasn't Ciara. I glanced up, tapping my chin with a pencil. I gazed absent-mindedly at the mural on the wall. It was a map of the Federation. My eyes drifted to California, the state that had become my home.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I jumped up and walked toward the map, as if getting closer would magically make it change. "Holy shit," I whispered. I held up the Texas routes. There was no drawn map, so all I was going off of was the logs. But, they mentioned a town on the river. The only river close to this route was the Colorado River in the Wasteland.

The Wasteland was practically uninhabitable, so it had no Governors. It was declared a neutral territory. A few towns did exist along the Colorado River, however. While not official, the southern end of the river was controlled by California. It was our best trade route with the Midwestern states. Texas had no business trading that far west.

I walked out into the hallway, and caught Governor Spencer talking to Governor Deaton. Talking was a polite word to describe their exchange. I cleared my throat, interrupting their argument. They both looked embarrassed to have their colorful language overheard. "Governor Spencer, may I speak with you for a moment?"

He nodded and followed me back into the meeting room. I walked toward the map. "We have a beautiful country, don't we?"

Spencer nodded. "Ciara did good, I'll give her that."

"You were always against Blanchard's decision to join the Federation, weren't you?"

He smiled uncomfortably. "Well, we did have to give up some territory to do it," he admitted. "She was so adamant about those state borders." He shrugged. "But, in the end, Governor Blanchard signed the treaty."

"And then he died a few years later, and you became Governor of Texas." I looked back at him. "You couldn't just _un_ sign the treaty. But, that didn't mean you wanted to follow it either."

He stared intently at the map. I wandered over to the table and picked up the copy of the Texas trade routes. Governor Spencer's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"I'm the President."

"I can explain, it isn't what it looks like," he stammered.

"It looks like you were trying to encroach on neutral territory," I countered. "Maybe even on Californian territory."

"California got special treatment, just because of you and your ties to Ciara," Spencer said angrily. "Of course Texas wasn't happy. We'd had years of independence, years of running ourselves. Unlike the rest of you, we didn't answer to anyone, we just took territory we wanted. Then Blanchard signed away our whole fucking legacy."

He paced around the room. "Can you blame me for wanting that back? We were going to revolt against the Federation; we'd been planning it for years. Slowly we were building in the Wasteland, it was hard work. But, when we hit the river, we were going to be golden."

"You were going after Southern California," I realized.

He nodded defeated. With a sigh he sat down. Spencer put his head in his hands. "It all went to shit, this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Ciara's death, you mean?"

"What?" He looked up suddenly.

"You and Mexico had a pact, right? Did you promise them a good trade deal? Say you'd help them fight back against the Federation?"

"No, no, it wasn't like that." He looked positively devastated. "We had nothing to do with Ciara's death, I swear to God! What happened to her was horrible, but all we wanted was to be free."

The door opened and I turned to see Miles. He'd clearly been listening outside. "I already sent Vincent to round up the other Texans."

"Please," Spencer whispered. "Don't do this. I swear, I don't know anything else. I can't help you. I-"

"Save it for Kansas, Peter," Miles said. He grabbed him under the arms and lifted him out of the chair. "You always thought you were better than Blanchard. But, Frank was a true American hero. You're just a con artist."

 **6 Years Ago**

 **Austin, Texas**

Ciara stood with Bass and the Mathesons. They stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of Texans. She'd been to Austin several times, but it still shocked her to see how many Texans actually wore cowboy hats and boots. "You know, I'm actually going to miss the ole bastard," Bass muttered. She laughed.

"He was a damn good Governor," Miles commended.

"I still can't believe he signed that damn treaty," Ciara muttered. "Even if it did take him almost a year to decide he would be Governor. That was annoying as hell."

"That's Frank Blanchard for you."

They all stared at the casket for a moment, in silence. "He had a good life," Ciara said finally. "And he died of old age. Which, given the dangerous world we all live in, is a cause for celebration in itself."

Miles patted the side of the casket. "We had some good times back in the day."

"Remember that time we stopped the Patriots from assassinating him?" Bass asked. He looked down over Blanchard's body. "Remember that, Frank?" Ciara pulled him back, embarrassed.

"I can't take you anywhere," she muttered, steering him to the other side of the room.

They'd barely made themselves comfortable on a couch, when a man in a black cowboy hat walked up to them. "Howdy, folks," he said. Ciara gave him a look that said " _Really_?"

Miles stood up. He didn't look particularly thrilled. "Peter Spencer, it's been a long time."

"It does seem like the Patriot War was a long time ago, doesn't it?"

"What do you want, Spencer?"

He flashed a dazzling smile at Ciara. "Why, to introduce myself to the President, of course. I _am_ the new Texan Governor after all."

Ciara stood and shook his hand. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"Yes, I look forward to it." He nodded back toward the crowd. "If you'll excuse me, I must be getting back." Ciara smiled and Spencer headed back toward the center of the room.

She sat back down on the couch and looked between Miles and Bass. "What was that all about?"

"We fought with him during the war," Bass explained.

" _With_ is a relative term," Miles muttered. "Spencer is a staunch Texas nationalist and one of the most two-faced men I've ever met."

"He seemed nice to me." Ciara shrugged.

"Sure, he'll act nice to your face," Bass said. "But the moment you turn your back, he'll stab you in it."

She rolled her eyes. "You both sound paranoid."

"He used a squadron of cadets to murder Patriots," Miles said quietly. "He captured them and read their numbers. They turned them against the men who'd made them monsters."

"And word is, he kept some of those cadets on his police force," Bass added. "Just in case he ever needed soldiers that would follow his every command."

Ciara's stomach churned. The cadets had been freed from Patriot control after the war. But, the lasting effects on their psyche had been devastating. She'd seen first hand what a freed cadet went through. They remembered everything they'd done. But they could never stop themselves from committing atrocities in the act. They were innocents, who'd been brainwashed into monsters. "Holy shit," she whispered.

"You could have problems with him in the future," Bass warned.

She shook her head. "I'm not worried." It was only half a lie. "The Federation army is over twice the size of the Texas rangers. Not to mention we have Miles as our General. Spencer will have his hands full if he ever tries to go against us."

"Unless he makes some powerful allies," Bass muttered. Ciara shot him a look. She knew she was being too optimistic, but it was what she was known for. Miles looked like he wanted to believe her. The California War had ended a year ago, the Federation was united and at peace. If only it would stay that way.

 **2044**

 **Savannah, Georgia**

 **CPOV**

Miles and I gathered everyone back at the Monroe-Jackson mansion. To my surprise, Charlie actually showed up. William sat cross-legged on the couch. We'd decided to send Emily and Ellie outside to play with Anya. Sarah brought her father, who I noticed looked a little paler than usual, I wondered if he'd caught the flu.

"You actually showed," I said, as I leaned on the back of Charlie's chair.

She looked up at me. "It's not the Patriots."

I raised an eyebrow. "I tried to tell you."

"I went to Ossabaw Island, there was no sign they'd ever been there. My intel was wrong. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

I rubbed her shoulders. "It's okay. Honestly, I wish it had been a Patriot cell."

"This is a conspiracy," she whispered.

Miles and Bass came in, they both looked grim. We all stared at them, waiting for the news. "Vincent is working on Spencer, he's optimistic. But, honestly, I don't know how much Spencer knows about Ciara's assassination. Sounds like he really may not have been involved."

"Hell, he wasn't even going to start a war until he'd covertly taken half the southwest," Bass noted. "Do we really think he'd just kill Ciara and screw up that whole plan?"

"Maybe that part was all Mexico," Sarah suggested. "We know they've been anti-Federation since the Patriot War. Could be they just turned against Texas."

"Ciara never thought we had anything to worry about with Spencer," Miles muttered. "Said he wouldn't revolt without some serious allies. But, Texas isn't the sort to make friends."

"I know Mexico," I spoke up. "There's no way they would've backed Texas alone. Mexico is rich, sure. But their army is weak. It's the whole reason the Patriot War devastated them so much."

"So, we're _still_ missing a piece," Sarah said exasperated. She stood up suddenly. "I'm going up stairs to look through the folder again."

Bass nodded. "I'll come with you."

Miles shook his head. "I'm going to sleep, my presentation got reschedule till tomorrow. I expect to see all your faces there, bright at early." Slowly everyone wandered off, except for Charlie.

She moved from her chair to sit next to me on the couch. "You okay?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Not really."

"I guess none of us are," she admitted.

"What if it was my fault?" I asked suddenly. She furrowed her brow. "Mexico wouldn't have gone after Ciara, not unless they'd been prompted."

"Did you prompt them?" She asked.

I shook my head. "But Nunez…"

"Your old boss?" I nodded. I'd grown up in Mexico, not knowing who my father was. I was taken in by a cartel, and treated like Nunez's own son. At least, until Ciara and Bass had come barging in to rescue me.

"What we did to him-" I broke off for a moment. "I talked to some of my old contacts, when I finally made it to California. The Nunez Cartel went bankrupt, over half the men abandoned ship. He wasn't exactly the sort of man to let a thing like that go."

"You think Nunez is behind this?" Charlie asked. "How'd he get men in the Mexican delegation. His cartel wasn't exactly _legal_."

"He knew a lot about us," I explained. "About me, about Bass and Ciara. Your parents too, I mean Miles is the one who sent me to live down there in the first place. If Nunez went to President Sanchez with everything he knew…"

"It could've been the push Mexico needed to start a war." She shook her head definitively. "I never met Nunez, but from the stories I've heard, he would _never_ be that smart. Most likely he's sitting in some nowhere town seething, with some lousy soldiers, drinking lousy tequila."

I shrugged, still unconvinced. Charlie put a hand on my arm. "Connor, not everything is about you!" She teased. I looked at her for a moment, and then leaned in and kissed her. For a moment, she didn't move, then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back.

When she leaned back, she was grinning. "What was that for?"

I laughed. "I've been wanting to do that for years."


End file.
